In the South West, Devon Grain store manager Duncan Lyon says it’s early days for winter wheat, although there’s very little winter barley and oilseed rape left to do.

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Winter feed barley has averaged 6.2t/ha with specific weights slightly down on last year at 64.7%. “Yields have been very variable,” he adds. “Moisture has averaged 14.7% so we’ve had to dry a little bit – but not much.”

While oilseed rape has struggled, some patches have done a bit better at 3.7t/ha. “Moisture has been around 9.5% with crops averaging 44.6% oil content.”

To date (6 August) less than 10% of the expected winter wheat has come into store, with moisture contents averaging 15.3%.

“Specific weights have been around 73kg/hl, down on last year, and we’ve seen some proteins at 9% – but we’ll have a better idea in a couple of weeks’ time.”

Gloucestershire

Further north, winter barley is wrapped up and 85% of winter oilseed rape is in store, says Phil Smith, director at Western Arable Services.

“Overall, winter barley quality has been better than last year, with specific weights up to 70kg/hl and grain looking bright and golden. However, we’ve still a wide range; down to 59kg/hl.”

Yields have topped at 8.6t/ha, with moisture at 13.8-17.5%.

Oilseed rape has been hugely variable, from as low as 1.2t/ha to more than 3.7t/ha in later crops, says Phil. Crops are requiring some cleaning, but oil content has been relatively good at 44-45%.

Winter wheat is now coming into store, but it’s not quite fit – most crops in the area could do with another week.

South England

It’s a similar story in Hampshire, Wiltshire and Berkshire, where Trinity Grain has taken in around 50,000t of combinable crops so far this season – representing 25% of the expected tonnage.

Winter barley and oilseed rape are almost finished, with winter wheat and spring barley beginning to trickle in. “It’s been a relatively slow start, but the dry weather picked the pace up,” says managing director David Evans.

Oilseed rape yields have varied widely, however, oil contents are pleasing at 45%, with moisture at 9%.

Winter barley yields have also been within a wide range. “Most malting barley has met the specification, with good retention and specific weight at 63-67kg/hl.”

Planet and Laureate spring malting barley is averaging around 1.3-1.5% nitrogen.

With less than 10% of winter wheat in store so far, protein contents are close to 13%, with specific weights and Hagberg at up to 80kg/hl and over 300, respectively.

Norfolk

Further east, combines entered winter barley and oilseed rape a day apart, says Dewing Grain’s trading director Ian Webster. Rapeseed yields fared better for some than expected, at around 3.5t/ha and 44% oil content.

However, it’s a different story with winter barley. “It’s been demoralising,” says Ian.

“Yields have been around 6.5t/ha, which is well below the 7.75t/ha five-year average. It was drilled in good conditions and looked well but perhaps the lack of sunlight caused yields to fall short.”

Specific weights are 5kg/hl down on last year, at as low as 58kg/hl, and there are retention issues.

More positively, spring barley is performing relatively well – good quality, yielding above average, with 95% retention, specific weights of 63-64kg/hl and 1.3% nitrogen.

Combines have just entered the winter wheat, which is proving extremely variable to date.

Shropshire

© Isabel Udale-Moseley

Wheat is also under way at Eyton House Farm, Telford, but harvest got off to an uninspiring start for Isabel Udale-Moseley.

“We’ve done one very sad oilseed rape field – we lost three others to flea beetle and it was borderline as to whether we should keep it or not,” she says.

The HOLL variety managed 2.5t/ha.

Mascani winter oats, drilled late after the failed rapeseed, ranged from 4.9t/ha to 6.9t/ha, and mostly came off dry bar the headland, which was 17-18%.

“We blew it all through the drier to improve the specific weight, which is probably a bit low this year.”

Next to meet the combine was a field of Graham winter wheat, which – excepting a bare flood patch in the middle – averaged 8.9t/ha.

“We’re quite pleased with that, as there were some quite thin bits, so there must have been good bits, too,” says Isabel.

Rain overnight on 5 August pressed pause – but the remaining Graham, Typhoon, Dawsum and Extase will be ready from the weekend onwards.

“It’s looking fair to middling – there are a few weed issues, particularly ryegrass, so we’ve sprayed a couple of fields with roundup – and we might need to use a pre-emergence this autumn to get on top of that.”